1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus configured to be able to form an image on a recording medium such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile, and a multifunction printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, there is disclosed an image forming apparatus configured such that an exhaust port exhausting exhaust heat of the image forming apparatus is provided within an intra-body sheet discharge portion as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-70459. This configuration improves usability of the apparatus because it permits to reduce influences of heat and sound otherwise generated from an exhaust port provided near a side surface of the apparatus. This configuration also improves installability of the apparatus because it permits to reduce an installation space by allowing a side surface of the apparatus to be placed closely to a wall of a room.
However, because the image forming apparatus of JPA No. 2005-70459 described above is configured such that the exhaust port is mounted in the intra-sheet discharge portion and the exhaust heat within the apparatus is merely exhausted through this exhaust port, there is a possibility that it is hard to assure an enough required air quantity for each heat generating source depending on disposition of the heat generating sources and on configuration of air channels for exhausting the heat. It is conceivable to separate an air channel from each heat generating source to the exhaust port by ducts for instance in order to avoid such possibility. However, costs and size of the apparatus increase if new ducts are added.
Meanwhile, what is influential as a heat generating source of the image forming apparatus is a fixing unit, i.e., an image heating portion, heating an image formed on a recording medium. The fixing unit is disposed along a conveying path through which the recording medium is conveyed. The recording medium passing through the fixing unit also becomes a heat generating source because it is heated by the fixing unit.